Coal gasification: An economic evaluation

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · Technol. Forecasting Social Change; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-1625(84)90063-5· OSTI ID:6114143

Xander, J A; Iranmanesh, M; McNiel, D; White, K R

Political interest in developing the capability to produce gaseous fuel from coal in the United States has been cyclical in nature, depending primarily upon the security of the international market for oil and public attitudes toward nuclear power. Interest in coal gasification technology by private investors, however, depends primarily on the economic and technological considerations analyzed in this paper. A cost forecasting model is developed with the capability to take into account future economic and technological uncertainties associated with producing high BTU gas (a substitute for natural gas) from coal. The cost forecasting model incorporates probabilistic information on key economic and technological parameters subject to future uncertainty and simulates, by Monte Carlo methods, the costs which private investors would incur over the life of a commercial size coal gasification plant. The results suggest it is highly unlikely that the coal gasification process could produce high BTU gas more cheaply than the price at which natural gas is likely to be available.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
• OSTI ID: 6114143
• Journal Information: Technol. Forecasting Social Change; (United States), Vol. 25:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
COAL GASIFICATION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
COST
FORECASTING
HIGH BTU GAS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NATURAL GAS
PRICES
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GASIFICATION
SIMULATION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
010404* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Gasification
015000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects